An oral health promotion program for the prevention of complications following avulsion: the effect on knowledge of physical education teachers.

The aim was to assess the knowledge levels of physical education teachers before and after a seminar, presented by dental faculty as part of a community outreach program, in which the need for immediate treatment because of avulsion of permanent teeth has been emphasized, and to compare knowledge levels of teachers who attended the seminar with those who did not. Physical education teachers attended a seminar presented by senior faculty of the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine as part of an educational campaign in the community. The seminar included clear instructions on the appropriate treatment of avulsed permanent teeth, which were appropriate for physical education teachers. The teachers completed two multiple-choice self-administered anonymous questionnaires related to immediate treatment they could provide in cases of permanent teeth avulsion. One hundred and twenty-six teachers completed the first questionnaire, 2 months before the seminar. One hundred teachers completed the second questionnaire 10 months after the seminar. Of these, 70 attended the seminar and 30 did not. Thirty-two teachers who attended the seminar had completed both questionnaires. The percentage of teachers who provided expected 'correct' answers in the first questionnaire (11% and 16%) was significantly lower than that in the second questionnaire (23% and 68%). The percentage of teachers who provided correct answers in the second questionnaire among those who attended the seminar (24% and 69%) was not significantly different from those who did not attend the seminar (20% and 66%). An educational campaign in the community with a seminar targeted towards a cohort of physical education teachers can improve the knowledge of the teachers, even those who did not attend the seminar, probably by means of a contamination effect. Despite the improvement, which was found, the level of knowledge after the campaign remained low and more public health promotion efforts are indicated.